You are here

Diarrhea in recovery?

Hi, I’m currently helping my sister recover at home. She has been on a meal plan since January 1st and has been eating beyond it on most days. The problem is, she has severe diarrhea ever since she started eating- she goes to the bathroom probably around X times a day, if not more. I’ve considered laxative abuse but i don’t think that’s the case. What should I do? Is this normal? Is it advisable to prevent her from earing what she wants, as not to upset her stomach? How do I belp stop it? How do I know when she is in danger? I feel like if we go to a doctor they will put her on a very strict diet like if she hd the stomach flu, and I think that would pull her back into restricting. This is a lot of questions but I hope someone has some advice! Thank you in advance!

Hi, nadanana, we're sorry to hear about the concerns you're having in regards to your sister. Just because you mentioned her experiencing diarrhea we wanted to provide you with a list of medical signs and symptoms. The following are just some of the signs of a serious problem that demands immediate medical attention:• accidentally or deliberately caused themselves a physical injury• become suicidal• confused thinking and is not making any sense• delusions (false beliefs) or hallucinations (experiencing things that aren’t there)• disoriented; doesn’t know what day it is, where they are or who they are• vomiting several times a day or has uncontrollable vomiting or diarrhea• experiencing dizziness or fainting spells• too weak to walk or collapses• painful muscle spasms• complaining of chest pain or having trouble breathing• blood in their bowel movements, urine or vomit• a body mass index (BMI) of less than 16• an irregular heartbeat, and fast heartbeat, or very low heart beat (less than 50 beats per minute)• cold or clammy skin indicating a low body temperature or has a body temperature of less than 35 degrees Celsius/95 degrees FahrenheitOr any other serious medical concernsIf your sister experiences any of the above including diarrhea, we highly recommend seeking medical attention as soon as possible. Another option is 911. Additionally, a portion of your post was edited due to a specific number that might be triggering for other members. Please take a look at our community guidelines: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/forums/community-guidelines. If you need more resources, please do not hesitate to reach out to the NEDA Helpline at (800) 931-2237 (Monday-Thursday 9 AM - 9 PM EST Friday 9 AM - 5 PM EST) or chat with us (top right hand corner).

I actually have struggled with that from time to time myself and I am currently recovering. The best advice is go to the doctor to get it checked out and rule out any possible serious think like a ruptured cyst. The doctor can help you all figure things out. Maybe certain foods we're introduced too soon. You don't know. Hopefully it will help. Keep us posted.